ivyskeep

On this day last year, Nightcat, a YouTuber I followed passed away. I wrote about it here and here. Two things that drew me to her channel were her virtual temples and her meditations. She/they was open and inviting to people of many different backgrounds. As long as you understood that her focus was the gods and not dogma and you weren't hateful, she welcomed you. I now consider her an ancestor of the spiriit and light a candle and offer a prayer in honor of her this day.



She loved many gods, but she was a Lokean at heart, hence the fox image.

For the Fannish Fifty challenge: Robin Hood fans past a certain age and very likely Pagan leaning or at least tolerant will remember, Robin of Sherwood, the most paganized version of the legend that I know of. A character from English folklore, Herne the Hunter, featured heavily in the show as a sort of spiritual guide to Robin Hood. According to the series wiki, creator Richard Carpenter stated in an interview with Starlog magazine that he fashioned Herne after "the Pagan idea of the Horned God." He was also apparently influenced by the film, Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood. It was made in 1969 for TV but released as a film in 1973.

Actor Michael Praed portrayed Robin of Loxley for the first two seasons. Then Jason Connery (yes, his dad's name was Sean) took on the role of Robert of Huntington in the third season who is eventually dubbed the new Robin by Herne.

There was a fan club based in Michigan called Spirit of Sherwood. I could kick myself for not checking them out sooner as they held many conventions in the area. Actors from the series would often be guests. The group still seems to be active in some way on Facebook.

Below are some scenes set to the music of the Irish band, Clannad, whose music was used throughout the series and gave many scenes a haunting mystical allure. A bit of trivia here. Band members are related to Enya, popular in New-Age and mainstream circles in the '90s. I mean, I was a massage therapist in that era for ten years. How could I not be a fan? Enya was everywhere. But that'll be another Fannish Fifty entry.

Dig that '80s hair! It's still my favorite rendition of the legend.

I'm still shocked at the news that a favorite YouTuber died suddenly on Saturday. I've enjoyed her polytheist content for a couple of years and became a member. There have been times when her channel was my spiritual home. She was unabashedly real about her beliefs and her struggles with mental illness, both of which I could relate to. But she also included fun gaming content and held a safe space for gay Pagans. She was welcoming to everyone who was kind and respectful.

I know that those who knew her personally are suffering more, but the closest word I have to describe what I'm feeling is grief. I know I'm not the only one if the comments on her channel and Discord are anything to go by. Rest in peace, Sweet Nightcat. You're in the arms of your beloved holy ones and ancestors now. Thank you for your honesty, food for thought, laughter, and the comfort you brought to my mind and heart.

I'm a little late to the party, but I'm waiting on The Northman film from the interlibrary loan system. I've read good and so so reviews about the film, so I want to see it for myself. Since we aren't going out to the movies and we don't have Prime or basic cable, I finally got around to checking it out of the library. Can't wait to see it.

 I created a short video for contemplation/meditation with a version of Sigdrifa's prayer set to the background of a winter theme for one of my YouTube channels. My goal is to create something similar for all four seasons. If I didn't say before, this account will cover everyday minutia as well as Heathen and Pagan content, usually brief. Honestly, I'm trying to break my Twitter doomscrolling habit. That's why I'm here.